Ignaz Friedman

Ignaz Friedman (also spelled Ignace or Ignacy) (February 14, 1882 – January 26, 1948) was a Polish pianist and composer famous for his Chopin interpretations.

The son of a musician in Krakow, Ignaz Friedman was one of the most unusual and original pianists of his time. A child prodigy, he went to study with the famed teacher Theodor Leschetizky. His official début in Vienna in 1904 featured a titanic program of three piano concertos and several encores. His style was quiet and effortless, and much has been written about his peerless interpretations of Chopin in particular. At the outbreak of the Second World War he was on a concert tour in Australia, and unable to return to Europe he remained there until his death. Partial paralysis of his left hand forced him to retire from the concert platform in 1943.

Friedman estimated that he had given over 2,800 concerts in his life. He composed more than ninety works, mainly miniatures for the piano, but also pieces for cello and a piano quintet. He arranged many works, especially those of Bach and Domenico Scarlatti. Much of his recorded material has been lost, including hours of radio recordings made in Australia and New Zealand.

External links

At the Piano with Ignaz Friedman